


This is How Rumours Start

by dragonflyMerri



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Cast Party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-23
Updated: 2012-03-23
Packaged: 2017-11-02 10:17:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/367882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonflyMerri/pseuds/dragonflyMerri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if the truth happened. But depending on your viewpoint of events, you come to your own conclusions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This is How Rumours Start

WHAT HAPPENED

The wrap party was in full swing when he stepped through the doors. The music thumped, the liquor was flowing and everyone was in a great mood, with gusts of laughter and raucous conversations coming from all around.  
A light smile flirted across his face as he looked around, searching for the one person he knew, and he stepped confidently into the crowd. He was aware that he was catching people’s attention, and heads were turning his way as he passed different groups, but he was used to attracting that type of attention. It’s what came from looking like he did.

‘You do look quite like a buffed up Enrique Iglesias’ Colin had said, giving his room mate a careful, considerate look, over his mug of steaming herbal tea.  
Alex had looked at him in disgust ‘Oh God, not you too?! Why can’t this just be my look?’  
‘It’s the hair style…and the body…and the whole face-thing,’ Colin confided.  
‘Oh – and you’re the one to comment on hairstyles? Have you looked at yourself recently, bowl-boy?’

The conversation had dissolved in laughter, and Alex’s grin widened as he remembered it. He and Colin didn’t get to see each other much, between Colin’s shooting schedule and his work schedule, so the rare times they were both home at the same time was always a time of catching up and laughter.  
“Hi there. Looking for someone?” A pert brunette with the glint of steel in her eyes had stepped right in front of him. She gave off the air of someone used to getting answers.  
“I’m looking for Colin.” Alex’s smile transferred down to her. He was rewarded by the glazed, deer-caught-in-the-headlight look he knew so well.  
The brunette gave him a blinding smile and pointed across the room.  
“Thank you.” Alex headed in the direction shown and saw Colin talking to two older men.  
As he approached, Colin turned and spotted him. He gave a delighted laugh, then came to meet him half way. They automatically reached out and encased each other in a giant hug, one arm around the shoulder, one arm around the waist.  
“Glad you could make it.” Colin’s mouth was close to Alex’s ear so he didn’t have to yell over the music. “How long can you stay?”  
“Thanks for the invite.” Alex kept his head close to Colin’s so he also wouldn’t have to yell. “I have to fly to New York tomorrow night, but I wouldn’t miss your party. I’m looking forward to meeting all these co-stars and crew you keep talking about.”  
Colin chuckled. “Yeah, they’re gonna love you.”  
“What can I say – it’s my charm and my curse.”  
Colin pulled back slightly but kept his head close, one hand resting on Alex’s hip, on hand still draped on his shoulder. “Did you have any trouble getting in?”  
“No, the invite worked fine.” Alex cupped Colin’s cheek and peered closely at him. “How’s the cold?”  
Colin shrugged. “Still going strong.”  
Alex ran a thumb over Colin’s cheekbone. “You look tired, you need to get some rest.”  
“Yeah, I will. Just got a couple of interviews to do and the movie premier, then I can crash.”  
Alex smile and stepped out of the hug, but kept one arm around Colin’s shoulder, his hand reached to ruffle the back of Colin’s hair. “Introduce me around, bowl-boy. I want to meet all the hot women you’ve been running around with these last eight months.”  
Colin burst out laughing and turned them, one hand splayed across Alex’s back,  
The two walked to meet Johnny and Julian, their arms around each other.  
That was the truth.

****

VIEWPOINT #1

“…and swear to god, Eoin rode straight into the tree – full-tilt, no pulling back. That horse was demented, you should have seen him flying off the..”  
“Good lord in heaven look what just walked in the door!”  
The five other women turned and gasped in unison.  
“Oh sweet mama – would you look at that!”  
“Hello gorgeous!”  
“Oh, I want to be the one belonging to him!”  
“Jeez…is that?? No, couldn’t be. Is that Enrique Iglesias??”  
“What? No – why would he be here?”  
“Not him, but close enough that I wouldn’t kick him out of bed for eating crackers!”  
The ladies watched as tall, dark and handsome moved gracefully thru the crowd, obviously looking for someone. Something caught his attention and he smiled. And all six ladies swooned.  
“Oh he is lovely!”  
A woman stepped in front of tall, dark and handsome and one of the ladies snorted.  
“Oh well, trust Alice to grab the goods first.”  
Tall, dark and handsome smiled down at Alice from his 6’2” height and Alice visibly turned into a simpering, grinning, love-struck girl. She pointed across the room and was rewarded with another blinding smile.  
The ladies watched tall, dark and handsome wind his way thru the crowd, his gaze now firmly fixed on someone.  
“Who’s he looking at? Marie – you’re tall, can you see?”  
“I think he’s heading to Johnny and Julian.”  
Just then Colin came into view, heading towards tall, dark and handsome with a huge smile on his face. Six jaws dropped simultaneously as tall, dark and handsome and Colin embraced in a prolonged and enthusiastic hug.  
“Seriously?? He belongs to Colin???”  
They watched as Colin and tall, dark and handsome murmured to each other, held tight in their embrace. Tall, dark and handsome cupped Colin’s face, his thumb caressing his cheekbones, and six women involuntarily sighed.  
“Beautiful and beautiful together. My life sucks.” The other ladies nodded in agreement.  
The two men turned and walked towards Johnny and Julian, their arms around each other and heads bent together.

Rumor #1 starts.

****

VIEWPOINT #2

Angel and Katie were discussing their plans for the next few months when their attention was diverted by a new addition to the party. Used to being surrounded by handsome TV stars, the new addition nevertheless caught their attention.  
“Oh please, like we need one more gorgeous man added to this party.” Katie said sarcastically, sipping her drink.  
“I’m not complaining.” smiled Angel as she openly checked out the new addition, sucking seductively on the straw in her drink.  
“It would be nice, if just for once, the men weren’t the prettiest people in the room.”  
Angel turned in surprise and burst out laughing. “Says her who has – how many websites dedicated to ‘The Beauty of Katie McGrath’?”  
“431, but who’s counting? So, who do you suppose this new one is?”  
“Not sure. I can’t recall him on any of the shoots.” Angel gave him her full consideration. “But he is quite lovely, don’t you think?”  
“And… there’s Alice making her move.”  
The two watched as Alice was completely taken in by the charms of the new addition, and laughed in sympathy as she pointed across the room.  
“He must belong to someone.” Angel scanned the people across the room for a possible partner.  
Katie’s gaze followed hers. “What about Jenny from make-up. She’s staring at him like she’d like to eat him up.”  
Angel scoffed. “Look around you – everyone is staring at him like they’d like to eat him up.”  
“So who do you…oh! No way!!”  
“Oh my God! You have got to be kidding.”  
The two watched open-mouthed as Colin walked into the prolonged embrace of the new addition.  
“Oh my God! Oh….my God!” Angel was beside herself with disbelief.  
“Seriously? Here?? He chooses to come out at the wrap party??” Katie was just as stunned, but had a giant grin on her face.  
“What? Noooo! He wouldn’t…he’s not…. he’s… he’s just….. hugging the guy!”  
“And hugging….and hugging…and..”  
“OK, OK. Maybe they’re just good friends. Just really good friends.” Angel took a calming sip of her drink.  
“Maybe they’re shagging.” Katie whispered in Angel’s ear and Angel promptly choked.  
“You…” Angel gasped “…are a very evil woman! You know Colin’s not gay. At least, we assume he’s not gay….that is, we don’t have any evidence that he’s gay..”  
“Except for the fact he’s currently standing in the middle of the floor in a big, giant gay hug”  
“Shut up!”  
“I’m just saying…” Katie trailed off and innocently took a sip of her drink.  
The two watched as Colin and the new addition turned and walked towards Johnny and Julian, their arms around each other, heads bent together and stride matching.

Rumor #2 starts

****

VIEWPOINT #3

The clutch of knights was once again together, laughing uproariously at remembered adventures while filming.  
“When he fell down that hill? Yelling all the way? That is blooper reel gold!” snickered Rupert, swinging back the last of his drink.  
“Then he tried to take Bradley’s head off! I’ve never heard Bradley swear so much.” Adetomiwa laughed and was joined by the others.  
“Easy for you to laugh – it wasn’t your head he was aiming for!” Bradley muttered between sips of his drink, trying to hide his grin. He glanced up at the crowd his attention was caught by someone just entering the party. In a room full of good-looking people, the man was striking enough to stand out and get everyone’s attention.  
Bradley glanced around at his co-stars – strapping Rupert with a scramble of red-gold curls and laughing face, giant Tom, built like a brick outhouse – his arms the size of tree trunks, and Adetomiwa, noble-looking even with a mouth full of beer. Then he glanced back to the man who had just entered the party. If ever a man could be said to be beautiful, this man certainly was. And then he smiled and Bradley actually felt every woman in the room swoon.  
Noticing his distraction, Rupert, Tom and Adetomiwa turned to see what he was looking at.  
“Who’s that?” asked Rupert  
“No idea. I’ve not seen him before.”  
“Who’s who then?” asked Eoin, walking up, his hands grasped around five fresh drinks. As the men grabbed their drinks, Rupert nodded at the man now winding his way through the crowd.  
Eoin looked up “Oh him? That’s Alex.”  
“Who’s Alex?” asked Bradley reaching for his drink.  
“Alex is currently the darling of Milan.” At the blank looks of his co-stars, Eoin shrugged. “He’s a model. I met him on a couple of shoots. He’s the current favorite of the Milan fashion houses.”  
“So what’s he doing here?” Adetomiwa asked.  
“No idea – he must know someone.”  
“If anyone here knew a model from Milan – it would be all over the shoot. Who would keep someone like him secret?” Tom asked.  
“Um…him?” Eoin said, pointing out to the middle of the floor. The men turned as one, and as one, their mouths dropped open.  
“Oh my god.” It was Bradley.  
Eoin burst out laughing and gasped out a string of Irish swear words, ending with ‘son-of-a-bitch!”  
“In Italy, he always mentioned his ‘room mate’, but never said his name. Now I know why.” And he burst out laughing again.  
“Room mate?” Rupert’s eyes were huge, taking in the clutch between Colin and Alex. “That’s a hell of a welcome for a room mate!”  
“Maybe they are just…room mates” Adetomiwa said and was rewarded by looks of utter disbelief by everyone. “I’m just saying…they could be just room mates… happy to see each other?”  
“I have never, in my life, greeted my room mates in that fashion” snorted Bradley, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.  
“They’re certainly happy to see each other.” Tom said, considering the two men.  
They all turned and watched as Colin and Alex turned and walked towards Johnny and Julian, their arms around each other, heads bent together, stride matching and laughs ringing out.

Rumor #3


End file.
